Congratulations if you landed a job interview! While this is a good news indeed, the Interview itself is crucial for getting the job so I’m going to give you some tips on how to approach it. All of these require good preparation before and if you do it right it may increase your chances substantially.

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Start with who you are. This is your pitch, take 5 to 10 minutes to present yourself, who you really are, what are your strong skills and passions and why you should get the job. Remember, everything is about supply and demand so be sure to know enough about the company/position to be able to match well your strengths with what they are looking for.

Justify your experience. Be ready to go through the (main) projects you contributed to. Start by describing the objectives of each project and what you were asked to do. Then present your approach: how you did it, what were the main problems you encountered and the solutions you brought. Finish by talking about the final outcome: what did you deliver/achieved. Expect this to be the longer part of the conversation so make sure you prepare it well in advance to provide sharp and pertinenent answers the the questions. When not sure about an answer, don’t be afraid to say you don’t know, it’s always better to be honnest than to improvize and give false/incorrect answers.

Ask good questions. Often, at the end of your interview, you are given the opportunity to ask a few questions. This is an excellent moment to get answers to things that really matter to you so don’t waste it. Ask questions about your future responsabilities, your future team, the processes they have place or any other topic that may interest you. Try to limit to 2-3 questions at most and prepare them in advance.

Body language matters. In all interactions make sure you show enough self-confidence and a positive note. Don’t complain too much or show a negative side. Always keep eye contact with the others, speak with a clear voice and be concise (don’t loose yourself too much in unnecessary details).

I hope this post gives you a little perspective on how to approach an interview, especially as it comes from someone (me) who interviewed many technical persons for various positions. Feel free to contact me with any question and good luck with your interview!